Health professionals’ experiences providing care for obese women who breastfeed (131.2)

Abstract

Obese women tend to stop breastfeeding (BF) earlier than normal‐weight women. Health professionals (HPs) are in a unique position to help obese women with BF, however, little is known about HPs’ strategies for assisting and experience providing BF care for obese women. To explore these issues, 34 HPs who care for pregnant or BF women were recruited in central New York. Qualitative interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed and verified for accuracy; content analysis was used to identify themes. Across professions, HPs described providing care for obese women as requiring more time and physical work, and as being challenging. General strategies that HPs used included treating them the same as other women, using normalizing techniques, and treating them with dignity. The HPs disagreed about specific strategies to help obese women with BF including: discussing the benefits of weight loss, proper nursing positions and “making an air pocket” when putting baby to breast, and using nipple shields/shells. They agreed about emphasizing the benefits of BF for infant weight, that more could be done prenatally to prepare obese women for BF, and that home visits postpartum may benefit them. Providing care for obese women in a setting in which HPs feel like they don’t have enough time requires more resources. Comprehensive strategies are needed to provide consistent messages and assistance to help obese women breastfeed. Grant Funding Source: Supported by grants from NIH (5T32HD007331) and USDA (Hatch 399449)